Written answers

Tuesday, 2 December 2014

Department of Environment, Community and Local Government

Local Authority Staff Recruitment

Photo of Brian WalshBrian Walsh (Galway West, Independent)
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537. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government to set out the number of requests received between 30 May 2013 and 25 November 2014 from Galway City Council and Galway County Council seeking sanction to fill positions at the local authorities; the outcome of each of these requests; the nature of each of the positions; the term of the contract in each case where the filling of the position was sanctioned. [46093/14]

Photo of Alan KellyAlan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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The moratorium on recruitment and promotion in the public service was introduced in March 2009 in response to the financial crisis. My Department operates a delegated sanction from the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform for implementation of the moratorium in relation to local authorities, and any exceptions to the moratorium in local authorities require sanction from my Department. Under section 159 of the Local Government Act 2001, each Chief Executive is responsible for staffing and organisational arrangements necessary for carrying out the functions of the local authorities for which he or she is responsible. In this regard, it is a matter for Chief Executives, in the first instance, to ensure that the moratorium is implemented while appropriate service levels are maintained.

My Department examines all staffing sanction requests on a case by case basis having due regard to the continued delivery of key services in the context of staffing and budgetary constraints. In considering sanction requests public safety, maintaining key front line services, and economic issues are given precedence.

My Department received 36 staff sanction requests from Galway City Council, and 249 staff sanction requests from Galway County Council between 30 May 2013 and 25 November 2014. The information in relation to these staff sanction requests is set out in the following tables.

Summary of staff sanction requests received

-Galway City Council Galway County Council
Approved 20 185
Pending 14 53
Refused 0 3
Withdrawn 2 8
Total 36 249
Summary of staff sanction requests approved
-Galway City Council Galway County Council
Approved Permanent 13 19
Contract 4 139
Acting 3 26
Secondment 0 1

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